July 23, 2007

Another Connecticut Town Goes Organic

PLAINVILLE - Plainville is getting "greener" all the time, thanks to the efforts of the Plainville Conservation Commission. The 11-member commission has worked hard to ensure that about 167 acres of town properties will remain free of pesticides and free of synthetic fertilizers. The Town Council voted unanimously last month to accept the commission's request to keep the town-owned properties free of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Plainville is the second town in the state to pass a voluntary resolution to not use pesticides on its properties, according to Jason Rupaka, vice chairman of the Plainville Conservation Commission. Rupaka said Milford was the first in the state to adopt the resolution.

Plainville also is home to the pesticide-free Paderewski Park, one of only nine in the nation that does not use any pesticides, Rupaka said. "We've come a long way," Rupaka said. "Connecticut was the first state in the country to ban pesticides on its elementary school properties and our Board of Education has already asked the Town Council to look into other types of lawn care on the rest of its school properties. I am very happy with what we've been able to do," Rupaka said. "Our state is the most progressive and Plainville is one of the most progressive towns in the state to have a voluntary nonuse of pesticides." Town manager Robert Lee said the town's voluntary program is designed to reduce the amount of pollution that goes into the Pequabuck and Quinnipiac rivers in town. Lee said the commission has asked the town to stop using pesticides on six town properties. Rupaka told the council that 49 homeowners have committed more than 16 acres as pesticide free so far as part of the commission's Clean Rivers Project. Source: By Jennette Brodeur, Herald Correspondent 01/11/2007.